Lost amid the avalanche of beer tappings during the Great American Beer Festival was a pumpkin beer that Longmont's Left Hand Brewing made just for Old Chicago restaurants as part of its Halloween Mini Tour. The beer, 4 Foodies Ale (see the video above), was brewed in collaboration with Guerrilla Farms in Niwot, which grew 1,000 pounds of pumpkins for the project, and the Savory Spice Shop in Boulder, which provided cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and other spices for the mash. The pumpkins themselves were roasted in Old Chicago's Louisville test kitchen before being added.

4 Foodies should be on tap for a few more weeks at Old Chicago locations throughout Colorado, but it's reportedly going fast in some areas.

Wednesday, October 24

Arvada Beer Company will continue its one-year anniversary celebration today by tapping a cabernet barrel-aged version of its Belgian IPA. Tomorrow's tapping is the Russian Imperial Stout, followed by Wheat Wine on Friday -- which is officially Arvada Beer Company's 100th batch of beer. On Saturday, the brewery will tap a syrah barrel-aged version of its Russian Imperial Stout.

The Yak & Yeti in Arvada has a couple of new beers on tap for a limited time, including Oaked IPA, a Himalayan IPA aged four months in a Leopold Bros Rye Whiskey barrel; Blueberry Tart, a brown ale with 1.5 pounds of blueberries per gallon; and Milk Stout, the un-spiced version of the Yak's Chai Milk Stout. Some beers that will go on tap in mid- to late November include Pumpkin Ale and Sherpa Porter, which is heavier on the cocoa and lighter on the roasty notes. Head brewer Adam Draeger is planning to kick off a porter series over the winter that will include toasted coconut, cherries, peppermint tea leaves, orange, vanilla and coffee.

Strange Brewing will tap Off the Wall Fall today as part of its One-Barrel Wednesday series. The autumn seasonal "will warm your heart with its malty balance and Santiam hops background," the brewery says.

Thursday, October 25

Great American Beer Festival darling Funkwerks will release its newest beer, Mistral, today in the Fort Collins taproom. The beer is a pale ale brewed with Belgian yeast and hops from the Niwot Hop Farm.

Friday, October 26

Craft beer expert, author and newsletter publisher Christian DeBenedetti will be back in Denver tonight to tap PUBlisher, a beer he brewed on Odell's pilot system during the Great American Beer Festival. The beer -- which he calls a "super hoppy aromatic extra pale ale" -- will actually be tapped at a wine event called Around the World in 80 Sips, which runs from 8-10 p.m. at Mile High Station. The tasting party includes wines from around the world and lots of snacks. Tickets, $75, are available at www.bottlenotes.com.

In homage to the Halloween season, Freshcraft will unleash all three of Avery Brewing's Demons of Ale beers at midnight. Samael's, The Beast and Mephistopheles will all be on tap.

Boulder Beer Company will celebrate the return of the seasonal Obovoid today by putting a keg of the oak-aged oatmeal stout on nitro in the brewpub. Be there from 4 to 7 p.m. for $3.25 pints and an Obovoid Egg Relay Race (where teams race around an obstacle course with a pint of beer in one hand and an empty bottle balancing an egg on the other) and a chance to win a free keg.